Corvis watched Azrael leave the training hall shaking his head. It wasn't until the automatic doors shut behind the Champion that Corvis heard the Night Lords who were watching the duel slowly drifting away, either to retire to their own cells or to enter the training arenas themselves. Even those of 5th Claw had left the stands, leaving their sergeant unconscious on the floor as his metabolism tried to compensate for the deep wounds in his chest and shoulder. Taking a moment to think, Corvis contemplated following Azrael towards the bridge to see if any update had arrived yet but decided against it, he still needed to don the rest of his battle armor and the raw wound on his face was pulsing with soreness as his body worked to stem any further blood loss. Letting out a sigh of annoyance at the careless mistake he made fighting Xho, Corvis decided to leave the training hall as well and make for his own cell before deciding anything further.

The utter blackness on the interior of the ship was broken by static light emplacements for the crew. The mortals inability to process anything in the darkness amused Corvis, and the scent of fear the pours out of the new arrivals when they realize what their new home is always puts a smile on his malicious face. Still, for all their shortcomings, the mortals did serve a useful purpose. The Night Lords themselves could not run every aspect of the ship day to day, they needed the humans to make up for this. However, the teachings of Night Haunter kept the mortal crew in place and those who were blessed with being able to serve a Night Lord were lucky indeed among the light less halls of the Maiden of Sorrow.

"Lets see you try and scrape dried blood off this pauldron and not chip away at the paint then you half-handed grox-hound!" the slave shouted not bothering to turn away from his work as Corvis walked into his personal cell. "Lord Corvis desires the trigger mechanism checked in his plasma pistol and then to have the inks blended and prepared to tattoo into his flesh after he returns from combat, I do not have time to waste trying to do your duties as well as my own Secundus!" the other slave hurled back without turning around, lost in trying to find the right balance for the trigger to be tightened so as to not be too loose or too tight to squeeze. "If the duties assigned to you both are too much for you, simply tell me and I shall find new serfs" Corvis said with just enough steel in his voice to cause them both to wince as they noticed their master in the room. "My lord, our apologies" Primus quickly stammered keeping his head down. Echoing his counterpart, Secundus kept his head down as well before speaking. "I am finishing up cleaning the last segment of your armor lord, we may outfit you in just a moment." he said quickly before returning with more haste to his work.

Corvis decided against informing them he was joking. Better to keep them on their toes anyway he decided. Both of the slaves were Nostraman born, giving them a bit better sight in the darkness then those taken aboard not of the now destroyed world. Primus had come from Nostramo Quintus as a young hoodlum hoping to receive the Primarch's gene-seed. However, he had been found wanting and had failed his training but had survived the ordeal. In exchange for not becoming a mindless servitor, he had accepted servitude to the Night Lords and had grown to adulthood aboard the Maiden of Sorrow. Secundus on the other hand was one of the of the last waves of slaves sent from the homeworld, evidently sentenced to serve the Night Lords after trying to have the head manager at whatever adamantium factorum he toiled away at killed. Corvis had picked both of them out himself, feeling a connection to the two of them. Corvis would somtimes consider that, if not for passing his trails, he would probably have shared either of the killers fates; it was a sobering reminder of what awaited failure.

Still, the two humans took to their duties well and Corvis found the gutter talk between the two of them nostalgic of his old life. "How fare things among the crew decks?" Corvis asked them. They both knew not to feign ignorance, they had learned by now that their master knew of their power plays among the human crew. "Nothing of true note my lord" Secundus stated as he blew off flakes of dried blood. "Xnema and his lot are trying to extort food from the agri-workers and Remus and several of his boys recently killed one of the merchants who ran a stall selling used battery packs across from our distillery." Primus followed up with quickly. "We had hoped you would not mind us taking action against the two fools" Primus asked, feeling his master in a good enough mood to pose the question. "Do either of them serve one of the Legion?" Corvis returned. "Remus serves a Night Lord of 3rd Claw I believe, but Xnema is a nobody who thinks he is still on Nostramo" Secundus stated flatly as he finished with Corvis' armor. "Hold still if you don't mind my lord and we shall fit your armor onto you" Both servants rose from their work tables and began fitting their master. "Find this Xnema and teach him the lessons of the Night Haunter and his sons. This Remus though must simply be warned by the remains of Xnema. I already have enough of my "battle-brothers" seeking my head" Corvis said, venom lacing his words. "It shall be done my lord" they both spoke as they continued fitting their master."

Attaching the gauntlets into place, both servants backed up as Corvis tested the armor out on himself, feeling it just as responsive as when he left it here. Only one piece left, Primus approached his master and offered his helm. Before taking it though, Corvis moved his hand up to his wounded face and called for a mirror to show him how bad his wound appeared. Shining a dim light on it, Secundus could barely look at his master's face, the entire side of his cheek had been torn away, leaving exposed muscle and teeth shining against the bleak light. "My lord, I would see to a surgeon about this." Primus stated, his stomach used to the grisly wounds the Night Lords would come back with. Putting his helmet on one the hooks adorning his waist, Corvis nodded in annoyed agreement. Before leaving his cell he returned to regard his servants. "Finish what preparations you have left to do and take care of this problem on the crew deck." He said before leaving for the apothecarium. "It shall, my lord" they both replied as their master left the room. Turning to regard each other, both of them could make out the malicious smiles that came across both their faces.

Walking through the sleek doors bearing the sigil of the Apothecarium, Corvis breathed deep the smell of iron rich blood that permeated the entire room. Looking around Corvis could make out splayed out bodies of dead or wounded Night Lords around the triage center. Still, he could make out no sign of the Corpse-Master. Whether or not that was a good thing was usually dependent on the situation. Walking through the Apothecarium Corvis eventually found one of Veptus' minions, Apothecary Zheng.

"Hail Apothecary. I've a wound needing treated. Is the Corpse-Master available or is it just you here?" Corvis asked."

Having notcied Corvis walk in, Zheng finished his work with the dead Night Lord on the table before withdrawing his narthecium, the sharp hiss-click sound signaling it retracting. "The Corpse-Master is with the captain, what is it you require Brother Corvis?" Zheng stated

Turning his head to show Zheng the exposed muscle and teeth from his wound Corvis attempts a smile that seems more macabre than sincere. "I sustained a wound against "brother" Xho of 5th claw. I'd rather not have to worry about this when we set down on Istvaan and would ask your help on the matter. That is if you aren't too occupied at the moment" he says gesturing towards the dead Night Lord Zheng had been splicing open

Corvis smiled as the Apothecary simply pushed the corpse of the Night Lord off the table and had one of his servitors pick up the body to be disposed of. Sitting on the now empty table, Corvis watched Zheng examine his wound before he gripped his head firmly and, mumbling to himself most of the while, took a scalpel and began cutting away the rough edges of the wound, causing Corvis to wince slightly. That wince soon turns into a sneer as Corvis feels Zheng stitch up his wound and applying synth-flesh to cover it.
"That should do the trick, try not to smile too much Brother or you may reopen the wound but your own bodies healing capabilities should take care of it, though you may have a nasty scar. Should you re-open it during Isstvan then make sure you come find myself or the Corpse-Master after the battle."

"My thanks Apothecary. I appreciate the assistance." Corvis says as he begins to leave the apothecarium. Before he reaches the door Corvis will stop and slowly turn about. "There is one more matter I would speak with you about brother-apothecary. A matter I would trust you would keep between you and I. Istvaan will be a momentous event for the Legion. Every astartes on this ship craves the chance to kill those loyalist dogs. It would be a mortal mistake to miss such a battle as this. And it would also appear that my list of enemies is growing. Sergeant Xho Zhen of 5th Claw will be coming here soon once he regains consciousness. His wounds were severe when I left him and I gather he will need treatment here. I would not risk the Captain's wrath by trying to kill him before we go to battle. However, if his Sus-an Membrane was somehow stimulated to induce a catatonic state, then Brother Xho would sadly miss the action on Istvaan. In so doing, he would be as worthless as an Imperial Oath after we returned from battle. I would be...indebted to you brother if there was any way you could assist me in this regard." Corvis coldly says as he stares into Zheng's eyes

The red eye lens of Zheng's helmet regard Corvis coldly and silently before the helmet inclines ever so slightly into a nod. "I shall see what I'm able to do Brother Corvis. Also if you hurry you may be able to catch up with the Corpse-Master while he makes his way to the bridge to meet with our esteemed captain." Zheng turns away to walk into the cells that are holding the last batch of recuits from Nostramo before it was destroyed to obviously check on how they are taking to their latest implants.

Taking his cue to leave, Corvis steps out of the Apothecarium and into the light less halls of the Maiden of Sorrow. Setting a brisk pace, Corvis began making his way through the pitch blackness to the bridge, wondering if it would be good fortune or bad that would bring his path crossing with Veptus as a low deep chuckle came from the thought.